March 19, 2006	Sunday	Safar 18, 1427

ISLAMABAD, March 18: The National Tariff Commission (NTC) on Saturday imposed definitive anti-dumping duties on imports of polyester filament yarn (PFY) into Pakistan originating in or exported from Indonesia, Korea, Malaysia and Thailand.

The NTC has imposed definitive anti-dumping duties (equal to the amount of final dumping margins established) on dumped imports of PFY for a period of five years with effect retrospectively from November 12, 2005.

The duties imposed on the selected eight importers of the four countries, which were reduced downward from the earlier preliminary disclosure: Indonesia PTSK Keris scaled down to 2.36 per cent from preliminary disclosure of 4.19 per cent; PT PanAsia 14.64 per cent from 27.78 per cent and all others 8.27 per cent from 15.55 per cent.

The exporters of Korea on which anti-dumping duty was imposed included: Hyosung Corporation remained unchanged at 29.07 per cent and all others to 6.92 per cent from 8.92 per cent. Malaysia: Global Trade Well to 22.62 per cent from 24.84 per cent; Fotex Trading to 20.78 per cent from 22.97 per cent; and all others to 3.67 per cent from 14.80 per cent. The definitive anti-dumping duties on the exporters of Thailand remained the same as was disclosed in the preliminary: Tuntex 18.93 per cent; Chiem Patana 29.68 per cent; and all others 18.93 per cent.

The investigation was initiated on May 12, 2005 into dumping of PFY in response to an application filed by Merchant Association, Karachi, on behalf of the domestic industry manufacturing PFY, under the Anti-Dumping Duties Ordinance, 2000.

The NTC also exempted eight foreign exporters/producers of PFY from the levy of definitive duty as they were either found not to be dumping or the dumping margins were found to be de mininis — less than two per cent. They are: P.T Indorama, Indonesia; P.T Sulindafin, Indonesia; Tongkook Corporation, Korea; Saehan Industries Inc, Korea; Hualon Corporation (M) Sdn, Malaysia; Jong Stit Company, Thailand; Capital Rayon Company Ltd, Thailand; and Sunflag (Thailand) Limited.

An official announcement said in the application the applicant identified 38 exporters/producers from Indonesia, Korea, Malaysia and Thailand involved in dumping PFY and requested that an anti-dumping duty may be imposed on all imports of PFY from these countries.

Due to a large number of exporters/producers, the NTC resorted to sampling and selected 13 exporters/producers to be investigated in this case.

The NTC imposed provisional anti-dumping duties (equal to the amount of provisional dumping margin established) on dumped imports of PFY for a period of four months with effect from November 12, 2005.

The NTC, after the preliminary determination, gave another opportunity to all other foreign producers, who were not selected in sampling and subsequently not investigated but desired an individual dumping margin, to voluntarily file a request along with the necessary information to the commission.

The domestic PFY industry consists of 19 units. Total installed production capacity of these units is around 105,000 tons per annum. Installed production capacity of the presently operative nine units is around 84,865 tons per annum.

Moreover, the domestic demand for PFY in Pakistan is being met through sales by the local industry and by imports. The domestic consumption of PFY is ascertained by combining local industry’s sales and total imports, and this is referred to here as the total domestic market, which is around 135,000 tons per annum.

PFY is chiefly used as raw material in the manufacture of art silk fabrics and garments by loom operators and circular knitting operators. The imports of PFY used in the manufacturing of goods for export purposes are exempted from all duties and taxes under the DTRE scheme and therefore, the imposition of anti-dumping duty will have no impact on the imports of PFY that are used for export.